Alone, for sure, we got 80,000 signatures saying we dont experiment on our children and pregnant women in america. This is america. [ applause ] as a result, not only was the study canceled, and by the way, those who got their 750,000 got to keep it. Not only was the study canceled, by senator boxer led the fight on the hill short time after and actually won legislation that went through the house and the senate to stop experiment on children in this country. And im thinking like, yeah, right . Why would we ever do that . Why do we need law that says the Pesticide Industry cannot sit next to and join with the Environmental Protection agency and poison our children . Why do we need a law . But we do. So where are we today . Today, we are in flint, michigan. Where 100,000 people, 100,000 estimated, i think its much more than that. 100,000 people were poisoned by their own government. 100,000 people drank lead contaminated water. 100,000 people, by our own government. Gm, by the way, when
Multisignatumultiagency unit. Larry craig, center from idaho nope for his wide stance, didnt like the information they were putting out, and he reached out and had unit abolished. We were able to sue and get their positions restored. But throughout all of the head of the center asked the question that haunted us, which was, who knew math coulding dangerous . So we employ a number of tools to help scientists suing under statutes where best available science is required, use of scientific integrity policies and even tools like the data quality act and industry sponsored law that allows us to file administrative challenges to Government Agency policies. Recently we were able to use this act to get, again, guided by agency toxicologist, the epa to drop safety assurance for artificial turf made with crumb rubber. We were able to persuade the white house to order overdue multiagency Risk Assessment on using solid waste as a play surface. [ applause ] thank you. And a number of our employees,
Responded back, because if we challenge the little ones, the regulatory agencies wont have time to get to the big ones. Now, thats a part of what were up against. But i wanted to just indicate that our strategies are and theyre successful. Our strategies are to create selfhelp mechanisms for the consumers like the lemon law. To make to always make progress. To get victims organized to show what it is. Today the u. S. Department of transportation will not release the names and addresses of consumers who are complaining about a defect. Why wont they do that . They say, well, the consumer doesnt want to have their name made public. Well, in fact, the consumer is writing to 20 different institutions, attorney generals, action lines, the center for auto safety, you name it, and yet the agency says they want privacy. What theyre doing is theyre trying to stamp out media access to victims to build a story around. So, victims are exceedingly important to our winning strategies. The other thing
This is a guy who is not afraid to talk to confront injustice. I think of something George Bernard shaw said you dont make progress by standing on guard. The fact that he used to be 65 will give you the idea of the fights i have been in. He has been more and additional to veterans for peace, he is a cofounder of the dont shoot coalition on the Michael Brown Police Killing in ferguson, missouri. He was an artillery love and based in clues and American Civil Liberties union and the Steering Committee of bringing them home now campaign. To introduce him and veterans for peace, we have a short video and then michael will be right here. [begin video clip] my name is barry ladendorf. I am the president of the veterans for national peace. Across the United States we have about 160 chapters and chapters in ireland and okinawa. We are forming a chapter in open our. We have a chapter in mexico. What we have learned in our collective experiences is that veterans is violence goes down. It doesnt p
We proved 56 of our children, over half of our children were born with birth defects. Over half our children had three ears, extra fingers, extra toes and mentally retarded. We thought thats enough evidence, the United States government, the place that were so proud of, we pay taxes, we go to church, my husbands a union man, i teach sunday school. This has got to work. And it didnt. What they said the reason we had birth defects of that rate is we were a random clustering of genetically defected people. My point of telling you this part of the story is that when i realized that it isnt about science, it isnt about facts, although all those things are critical for making your case and making sure youre right, its about political fight. That was the moment that it dawned on me that we are not going to fight this just proving theres Climate Change because we proved it. It was proven years ago. Decades ago. Were only going to win this if we get involved politically. And for that reason, i